Categories
Daily Post

Greasy Farmer

Yesterday, I was out enjoying lunch with one of my good friends and coworker.  This is usually our gripe about work lunch, and a few others usually join us.  However, one of them was probably on her back porch on a conference call and the other had just returned from India the night before and was not at work.  So the two of us sat talking about various things when this guy slides past our table on crutches and literally falls in the chair at the table next to ours.  Yep, it was Tuesday, and Tuesday seems to be homeless dude on crutches day for me.

So Roy, as we later found out his name to be, proceeded to tell us all about his current illness, his days in the ‘war’, his battle with brain cancer and his current job singing at a local drinking establishment.   As a matter of fact Roy, who by the way is not homeless dude from last week, serenaded us with three of his own songs that evidently he had composed.. He has according to him, been on the Grand Ole’ Opry several times.  His creative lyrics even mentioned a Greasy Farmer.

There we were, stuck.  He continued to sing and talk and weave his tale, we continued to nervously eat, glancing looks at each other, trying to figure out a way out.  I was waiting for the question – “Do you have some spare change?”, “Can you buy my lunch?”, “Can you help me with …?”  And then it came.  It started like this.  “Do you like my singing?”.

I expected, then how about a few dollars.  But no he said “Do you have change for a twenty?”.  Without having to look I knew all I had was crisp ATM dispensed twenties, nothing bigger, nothing smaller, so I responded “No, sir.”.   He then said “Do you like my singing?, Hey how much was that salad you are eating?”  I responding with a rough estimate of the price, because in all honesty, I really didn’t know.  When I checked out, I just gave the cashier dude my plastic and whammo I had lunch!  At this point, I was getting really anxious, where is this going I was wondering?  Are others in the restaurant wondering what is going?  What is the management going to think about this exchange?

And here comes the surprise.  “Hey, you can see I can barely walk, can you go up and get me whatever you had, I want to be like you!”  (At this point I know the dude is half insane, as being like me would put him over the top.)  “I’ve got a twenty”.  He stood up reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty and handed it to me.

So off we went to purchase Roy’s lunch with Roy’s money.  We brought the meal over to him, shook his hand, exchanged pleasantries and then we walked back up the hill to the office, just a little mystified.

There are two lessons hidden in this little encounter I think. The first one relates to last Wednesdays post about homeless dude.  I was frustrated last week that I didn’t take any time to even see what was up with that guy.  Yesterday I was given some what of a redo and although I had fully expected to be asked for money, all he wanted was someone to listen to him and to help him.

The second lesson comes from Roy himself.  Remember, this lunch usually contained some element of a gripe session.  Well from the moment Roy sat down he kept referring to the gifts he had been given from God and how God gave him his strength to keep going forward.  And let me tell you, Roy has had his share of beat downs, its pretty amazing that he can still give glory to his Creator.  That is such a lesson for me.  I find myself caught up in the non-essentials and sometimes overlook the gifts and strength that come from our Creator.  I hope that I can remember this little lesson from the Greasy Farmer, remember that my strength is from God, no matter what.

 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
       where does my help come from?

 2 My help comes from the LORD,
       the Maker of heaven and earth Psalm 121:1-2 (New International Version)

Categories
Daily Post

Plodding Along

So yesterday I mentioned the way those kids where plodding through the corn maze, like they were on some mission.  They were marching down the rows of corn, plodding, always moving forward, but really to what end.  As I trailed that last girl, I wandered to myself, ‘wow, this feels like a microcosm of my life’.

Have you ever felt that way.  Plodding, get up, work, practices, homework, bills, sleep, and tomorrow – do it again!  It’s very easy to get in this march of life.  Down through the corn maze – up on the rat race, plodding, moving, but never really getting anywhere.

2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

3 What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?  Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 (New International Version)

oh yes, depressing, meaningless.  So here he are sojourners, navigating the corn maze, plodding forward, never looking back, but  to what end.   Well, check out Psalm 39.  David says

4 “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.

He asks God to make it very clear to him that we are plodding along frail, like a vapor, so that He would place his Hope in  God alone.

7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.

And then he ends the Psalm by crying out and stating the he is just a traveling, traveling with God.

12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD,
listen to my cry for help;
be not deaf to my weeping.
For I dwell with you as an alien,
a stranger, as all my fathers were.

I personally find some strength there in knowing that this feeling of vanity is normal, and it has a purpose – to send me searching for my Creator.  So I will continuing the plodding, but not aimlessly.  Oh sure, my days will be filled with vanity and worthlessness, as yours will be. However, there is a hope that will bring comfort to my days when I look for him through the maze.

3 Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
(Psalm 43:3a, New King James Version)

Categories
Daily Post

Corn Ma(i)ze Adventures

Over the weekend I was so blessed to be able to assist in the “chaperoning” of a group of junior and senior high kids to the local corn maze.  This adventure started out as any good chaperoning trip should – an hour long ride on a bus.  Then we had the somewhat expected bus trouble ( blowing out a tire on the interstate), the highs and lows of drama ( Tennessee Won- YES, oh no Tennessee Lost- bummer) and then the fateful assignment from the youth leader.  In the past it might have been the prayer for for food, or monitoring the boys restroom, or keeping one of “those” kids in your group, but tonight it was watch the dating couples.

Oh no, my heart froze, the dating couples in a corn maze, after dark! Luckily I had my trusty 15 inch maglite so I could pretend to be a officer of the law.

After finding the couples after they had already had escaped once on the hide ride, we went into the maze.  A group consisting of 5 junior high boys, the 2 boys and their dates, myself, and 2 other chaperones entered the maze in that order.   Quickly, the smaller boys dispeared into the corn as if they had been wisked away by aliens, only to have to be removed from the maze later in the evening apparently by the “corn cops”.   I knew they were on their own, but I had a mission to stay on.

By this time, we had somehow found the outside loop of this maze, and march in long straight lines, in boy then girl order.  These kids moved at rates of speed that seemed supernatural.  They didn’t communicate with each other.  They just kept plodded forward – heads slightly angled towards the ground, shoulders hunched over. It was so bad that all three of the chaperons expected at any moment the kids to turn around possessed by the corn with eyes wide and manic expressions on their faces.  It had become a little bit frightening. This continued until we reached one of the “check points” in the maze and hollered “hey y’all, lets stop here”  But no,  undeterred, they continued blindly, on their seemingly possessed march through the corn.  In desperation, my partner hollered out the name of one of the boys who then awoke from his state of hypnosis and returned to us.    It was quite an adventure.  After reconnoitering at the post for a few minutes one of the girls returned to us, and eventually we were able to round up the other couple, when they exited the maze via the entrance.  I dunno how.

But here is one thing I know.  That plodding – that determined focus to move forward, undettered by the distractions of life – that’s something to ponder today.  One can look at it from two perspectives and I have been waffling on which one to attack.  The first way could be to say that’s how we should live life – undeterred, focused on the path ahead, eyes on the prize.  The second, well that’s for tomorrow.  So, today, keep trudging through the corn, but know were you are going – heavenwward in Christ Jesus.

13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:13-14 (New International Version)

Categories
Daily Post

A New Heart

I woke up this morning to my favorite Friday song – Sammy Kershaw’s Finally Friday.

It’s good to be right on top of a few days of away from the grind of work, but there’s still one more day at the ol’ mill before we can “let the good times roll”.

But what’s so great about having a day between us and the weekend is we have another day to choose to serve God.  You have another day to so the renewing gifts of the God you serve.

For example check out Ezekiel where he is telling the people of Israel that when they return to him he will restore their hearts.

26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.  Ezekiel 36:26-27 (New International Version)

What’s so cool is you can take part in that same gift.  Use today to take advantage of the promise of God.  Draw near to Him, and enjoy the renewing of you mind and spirit.

Categories
Daily Post

Keep Pounding

Last night the pounding continued for me.  It was bad enough that I wrote about my experience with homeless dude and my general lack of concern for my neighbor.  But then last night, the men’s group I have been hanging out with decides that the topic should be about love, and kindness and how we treat the poor.  (geesh, is someone trying to tell me something!!)

But seriously, it is important, even this week Barry O. said that is why he was attracted to Christ:

“It was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead. Being my brother’s and sister’s keeper. Treating others as they would treat me.” – Barack Obama

This whole idea of loving your neighbor is extremely important  One that is probably worth another post.  This morning I stumbled upon this quote

Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. – Mother Teresa

She’s correct, it doesn’t have to be huge, or big, but it needs to be consistent and faithful – which ironically would be extraordinary!!!

Let’s do it up!

9-10So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. (Galatians 6:9, The Message)